Improvement in velocipedes



- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. S. WILMARTH.

Velocipede.

Patented May 4, 1869.

71 3522 ases; J/r

a y. {M46217 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. WILMARTH.

Velocipede. No. 89,822. Patented May 4, 1869.

To all whom, it may concern:

' Be it known that I, SETH WILMARTH, of Mald'en, in the county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Street- Oarriages or Velocipedes; of which the following is a .full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1. is a perspective view of my improved streetcarriage or velocipede.

Figure 2 is a plan of the same. Figure 3 is a section on the line w :v, of fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow 10.

Figure 4 is a detail to be referred to.

This invention relates to certain improvements in street-carriages or velocipedes, and consists in apply-' ing the power to an auxiliary shaft, provided with a fly-wheel, and connected with the main shaft or axle by suitable gearing, the flywheel serving to collect and retain the' pow'er, while the force exerted to produce the momentum of the fly-wheel is retained by the mass in motion, and thence transmitted to the main shaft or axle, for the purpose of equalizing the motion and preserving a uniform rate of speed; and my invention also consists in the construction and arrangement of certain mechanism, to be detailed hereafter.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describethe manner 1 in which I have carriedit out.

In the said drawingsfArepresents the main shaft or axle of a street-carriage or velocipede, with the wheels B B secured thereto at its extremities, the shaft having its bearings in the frame 0, which is of the form shown in figs. 1 and 2. The shaft A is revolved bythe foot of the rider in the following manner: D is a hollow drum or pulley fitted loosely upon an auxiliary shaft, E, which is parallel to the main shaft A, and is supported in hearings in o posite ends of the lower portion of the front of the ame-work.

Within the periphery or outer cylindrical surface of this drum-D, is formed a rectangular groove a, for the reception of a strong leather strap or band b, which extends partially around the drum, one extremity being secured to it by a screw or rivet, while its opposite end passes over the main shaft- A, and is connected tothe upper end'of the arm 0, of a bent lever, G, which is pivoted to ,a bifurcated support H, the

- outer end of the arm (1 of the bent lever serving as a treadle, upon which the foot may exert its power.

On the inner face of the drum D is pivoted a pawl e, which engages with the teeth of a ratchet-wheel, I,

secured to or forming a part of the shaft E, a spring, f, serving to keepthe pawl in contact with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel I, and thus, as the treadle of the foot-lever is forced down in the direction of the arrow 6, the drum 1) is partially revolved by the strap 11, and

its motion communicated, through the pawl c ands. IMPROVEMENT IN VELOCIPEDES.

v ---40 -0I The Schedule referredrbo in these Letters Patent and making part of the name.

As soon, however, as the pressure of the foot is removed from the treadle of the foot-lever, the drum D is revolved in the contrary direction (arrow 7 by a flat coiled spring g, one end of which is secured to a collar, 72., fitting loosely over the auxiliary shaft, while its opposite end is secured to a pin or projection,=i,on the inside of the rim of the drum, by which construc tion the treadle of the foot-lever is returned to its original position, ready to be again forced down by the foot, the pawl e, passing freely over the te'eth of the ratchet-wheel, as the drum D is carried backby the retracting spring g.

The drumD is prevented from moving laterally on the auxiliary shaft bymeans of the ratchet-wheel I, on one side, and the collar h,'on the other'side, the

latter. being provided with a series of holes'for theentrance of a pin, whereby the torsion of the spring g may be adjusted to insure the treadle following the foot up to the required position, to properly receive its next downward stroke; the motion of the t'readle downward being limited to the range of the foot by a shoulder, 70, on each. side of the foot lever, coming in contact with a corresponding shoulder l, on each side of the lower end of the bifurcated support H.

In the foregoing, I have described how the impact or force exerted by the foot is conveyed to the auxiliary shaft, and thence, by gear K and M, or L and N,

to the main shaft or axle A.

I will now particularly refer to the chief feature of my present invention.

'0 is a heavy fly or compensating-wheel secured to the auxiliary shaft E, for the purpose of collecting and retaining the power exerted by the foot on the treadle; whereby any unequal or sudden strain on the main shaft, by meeting with obstacles, or in ascending steep ground, is equalized so that a uniform rate of speed may be preserved without any unusual exertion of the rider.

P is ashipp'er, operated by hand, for throwing the wheels K and L in and out of gear with the wheels M and N, in order to vary the rate of speed when desired.

In going up hill, where considerable power is required, I cause the gear K to engage with the gear M, the auxiliary shaft E making about six revolutions to one of the main shaft A.

' But in travelling over ground comparatively level I require less power, and throw the wheel L into gear with thewheel N, when the auxiliary shaft E makes.

about two revolutions, while the main shaft or axle A is making one.

i Q is the rear wheel, the'axle of which has its bearwhereby the standard may, with the wheel Q, beinfrom the main shaft, and the reach or perch would not commence to curve upward until at some point in the rear of the drivers seat.

'1 is a vertical-shaft, passing through the horizontal portion of the frame, and provided at its top with a crank U, within convenient reach of the hand of the driver; the bottom of this crank-shaft being provided with a pinion, n, which engages with a similar pinion 0, on a plate 8, (seen dotted,) the latter pinion engaging with and moving a long segmental rack, V, the arms p of which are secured at their extremities to the opposite sides of the axis of the rear or guiding-wheel Q.

This segmental rack V is provided with a slot, q, for the reception of a short pin, 4', projecting down from the plate 8, by which'the rack is kept up tothe pinion o, to insure their meshing together, and serves as a support or trussfor the wheel Q.

In practice, I intend to move the segmental rack V by meansof a horizontal shaft, W, provided with bevelgear, as seen in fig. 4, in which case the pinion n may be dispensed with, and a bevel-gear, S, be secured to the bottom of the vertical-steering shaft T, and drive a bevel-gear, t, on one end of the horizontal shaft W; a bevel-gear, u, on the other-.end of said shaft W, engaging with a corresponding bevel-gear u, on a short pin 9, which also carries a straight pinion, 20, which meshes into and drives the segmental rack V, as required.

It will be seen that the power is applied to the periphery of the drum D, on the auxiliary shaft, and that by increasing the diameter of the drum the leverage may be increased (without necessitating any increase in the length of stroke of the foot-leverlto a point much beyond that which can be attained by the use of cranks, as the length of the latter must be limited within the range of action of the limbs of the rider.

Furthermore, by our improvements the same lev'erage or power is exerted, whether the stroke of the foot-lever is long or short, thus adapting it for persons with limbs of various lengths.

By extending up the portion or arm d of the footlever G, as seen in red,-tig. 1, it may be operated either by hand or by foot, or by both, simultaneously, if desired.

Olm'm.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The auxiliary shaft E, with its fly-wheel 0, connected with the main shaft by means of described gearing, combined with a foot-lever, G, and a steeringwheel Q, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. Also, the foot-lever G, strap b, drum D, with its retracting-spring g, pawl e, and the ratchet-wheel I, in combination with the auxiliaryshaft E, provided with a flywheel, 0, and connected with the main shaft A by suitable gearing, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. Also, limiting the motion of the foot-lever G by the shoulders It It, in combination with the shoulders I l, in the bifurcated support H, in which it is pivoted, substantially as set forth.

SETH WILMARTH.

Witnesses:

N. W. STEARNS, W. J. CAMBRIDGE. 

